Mitt Romney often talks about his heritage in Mexico, and his faith in the Mormon Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a complicated history in Mexico -- it's growing rapidly today, but more than 100 years ago it was a place Mormons went to avoid a prohibition on polygamy.

Before Oscar Hijuelos, it was rare for Latino writers to get wide recognition in the US. But Hijuelos broke barriers with his novel, “The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love,” which won the 1990 Pulitzer Prize.